The present invention relates to a method for producing aluminium metal. More specific, the invention relates to a continuous process for the production or aluminium metal.
Aluminium metal is today almost exclusively produced by the use of Hall-Hxc3xa9roult cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,167 discloses an arc furnace involving the use of a circulating electrode or a plasma gun for performing various chemical reactions including the reduction and separation of ores. In one embodiment described in the patent, aluminium oxide or alumina can be introduced into the plasma, and then at a lower point in the reactor propane is introduced. The patent do not describe completely whether the process can be carried out as a continuous process, which is of great importance when processing in an industrial scale. Furthermore, the patent do neither describe what the by-products of the process are.
According to the present invention, aluminium metal can be produced in a continuous process, and the process will in addition give valuable by-products.
The potential of the method in accordance with the invention will represent a more efficient and more economical process for making aluminium metal. Further the process may be carried out at a slight overpressure with respect to the ambient pressure, and may be carried out with inexpensive feed materials of standard commercial quality.